


Dammit Rals!

by happyinthesilence



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-16
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 01:33:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1963938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happyinthesilence/pseuds/happyinthesilence
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh's fists get away from him again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dammit Rals!

The thing about Chuck Hansen that most people don’t realize is he gets hurt just like everybody else. He may hide behind bluster, arrogance, anger, and ego but his feelings are just as fragile as everyone else’s. He just happens to be better at hiding the hurt.

He can fool everyone when those awkward and humiliating situations come up, well almost everyone. The list of people who can see through his bullshit is short; Herc, Mako, Max, and most recently Raleigh.

The fact that Raleigh has learned to see the slight tightness at the corners of his eyes, the barely perceptible dip in his shoulders and the curling of his fists, as a deep pain, irritates the hell out of Chuck. He hates feeling vulnerable and as someone who has little experience dealing with both social situations and emotions, Raleigh noticing his hurt makes him feel far too vulnerable.

So this is quite possibly his worst nightmare.

They had been sitting in the mess having a decent lunch. Chuck was keeping up the usual banter with Raleigh and in fact the only real difference between this meal and the first they had here is the footsie under the table. That and Chuck is actually getting to eat his food this time instead of the annoying American.

Raleigh had been musing on Jaeger battles between old crews and possible outcomes when he threw out the ultimate challenge, “You know I bet Gipsy could’ve taken Striker.”

“Oi! Fastest Jaeger in existence, only mark 5 ever made, and not to mention her kill count! You are completely bonzo, Rals.” Chuck blustered.

“Oh come on Chuck you know I am right. I mean Striker might have had speed but Gipsy had stamina. And endurance is what counts Babe.” Raleigh smirked. He was just riling Chuck up at this point. The hotheaded ginger made too easy of a mark.

Chuck spluttered angrily but before he could reply Herc was telling them both to shut it and one of the new J-techs came to sit between Tendo and Chuck. He glanced at Chuck and threw Raleigh a charming smile before butted in with a smirk “Not sure he knows how, Marshal.”

Herc turned to the new comer but Raleigh, who was just across from the tech, tilted his head like a puppy trying to figure a situation out. “He who?”

“Chuck, I mean it isn’t like him to behave. Short fuse and all.” The tech replied “No offense.” He said to Chuck before returning his grin back to Raleigh.

Chuck blew the comment off. It wasn’t like people hadn’t pointed out he was an asshole to him before. But the lingering smile the man was sending Raleigh’s way was starting to grate. The real problem though was Raleigh wasn’t blowing it off.

“You know I am pretty sure Herc was speaking to both of us. Seeing as I was the one who started the argument.” Raleigh replied thoughtfully. “You know I wasn’t even aware you knew Chuck.”

“Why haven’t you introduced us Chuck?” Raleigh questioned easily enough, but there was an underlying steel to his voice.

Chuck just stared back at Raleigh with a _What the hell are you up to mate?_

The tech quickly replied “I don’t really know Chuck, but I mean we have all heard about the fight in the hallway and the problems between…” the tech trailed off as he realized the table around him had gone silent.

Herc Hansen had slowly laid down his fork and leaned forward on his elbows, Raleigh had pulled himself up straight and the hand on the table had curled into a fist, but most importantly Tendo had scooted as far down the bench as he could avoiding the line of fire.

Chuck gritted his teeth. He hated these moments where people dragged his worst regrets out through the open like they belonged there, like these strangers had any claim on the man he had become to try and drag him back to the boy he was. But Chuck wasn’t one to back down or let his weakness show, so he barely flinched when he gritted out a “Short fuse sounds about right. Live wire, that’s me.”

“No. It. Isn’t.” Raleigh responded, voice hard, eyes catching and holding Chuck’s.

For a minute Chuck couldn’t breathe. He knew Raleigh was saying so much more than the words he was speaking. The moment passed quickly and Raleigh shifted his focus back the tech.

At this point the man had to have realized he was digging his own grave but he blundered on. “Look I didn’t mean anything by it. I am not saying anything that hasn’t been said before. Chuck Hansen is an asshole, but I mean isn’t that the persona he was going for? And honestly I am surprised you are defending him.” The tech looked around as if looking for support, he conspicuously found none. “All I am saying is hero of the breach or not he should learn some respect, treat you better...” He floundered.

By this point the man had shifted away from Chuck as if he could sense the tension coiling within the man and was bracing for an explosion.

He got one. Just not from the direction he expected.

Raleigh’s fist made contact just below the man’s eye and he hit the floor behind him hard. There was a moment of silence throughout the mess, as if the whole room was collectively holding their breath.

Finally the moment passed when Herc picked up his fork and went back to his mashed potatoes. That seemed to break Chuck out of his stunned silence. “Dammit Rah-leigh! What the hell was that?!”

Raleigh who had seemed just as surprised as everyone else when the man had landed, looked up from staring at his fist and said “It isn’t my fault he can’t take a punch, but trust me there will be an apology forthcoming.” Raleigh murmured as he stared down at the currently unconscious man.

“Look it Ray, I don’t need you defending my damn honor or whatever the hell that was.” Chuck hissed. He was acutely aware of the eyes boring into his back from every corner of the room.

“Chuck I wasn’t…”Raleigh started.

“Why don’t you boys go work this out somewhere less public, huh? And Tendo get someone to clean up this bloody mess.” Herc stated, never even looking up from his plate

. Chuck had one fist in Raleigh’s sweater and was dragging him out the door before Herc even finished. They made it two hallways over before Raleigh was slammed against the corridor wall.

“Do you think you could made that anymore embarrassing mate?!” Chuck snapped.

“Why are you embarrassed? He was the one making a fool of himself and I am the idiot who still doesn’t have a lid on his temper.” Raleigh questioned in confusion.

“Fucking hell Rals! Couldn’t you just have let it go instead of making such a big deal out of it?” Chuck demanded.

“No.”

“What the hell do you mean no?”

“I mean you’re my partner. I beat your ass when you insulted Mako. She is my co-pilot but you are my partner how is that any different?” Raleigh asked quietly.

Chuck had no real answer for that question. He took a step back releasing Raleigh, and ran a hand over his face with a sigh. Raleigh slid his hands up Chuck’s forearms to grip his hands and gently pull them away from his face.

“I love you. Even when you are being an asshole. I am not here because you’re are easy to get along with I am here because I cannot imagine being anywhere else. Do you get that?” Raleigh slid a hand under Chuck’s chin forcing him to make eye contact. “I know exactly who you are. I am see your faults and it doesn’t stop me from loving you.” Raleigh said with a sad smile.

“The thing is Chuck I also see all the amazing things about you. Like the fact that you love your Dad possibly more than anyone on Earth, aside from Max. Or that you cry at the end of Casablanca even though you pretend not to. I know all about you working on a degree in Marine Biology so that you can help clean up the blue, because you can’t imagine a life without helping.” Raleigh whispered. “That man doesn’t know any of those things and he doesn’t know you, yet he thinks he can make snap judgments and comment on your life with you sitting right there? Like you don’t feel a thing?” Raleigh’s grip tightened on Chuck’s chin as he slid his other arm around Chuck’s waist. Chuck simply melted into him.

“Sorry but no. I am never going to be able to let something like that slide. That is just something you are going to have to accept. That and I seriously doubt I am going to ever be able to think it through before I throw a punch.” Raleigh grinned.

Chuck just stared at the idiot in front of him. In the mess he had a list of perfectly valid reasons why he was entitled to be bloody pissed at the wanker but he suddenly couldn’t remember a single one. Looking into those blues eyes so full of earnest affection he lost every drop of irritation.

He leaned the few inches forward to connect their lips. It wasn’t their most heated kiss but it was by far their most intimate. The soft dry press of lips slipping into a warm exchange of breath.

Chuck leaned back just far enough to murmur “When we get back to our bunk you are so making this up to me. I am seriously considering spanking your ass.” After all Chuck Hansen never showed weakness.

Raleigh’s smile was just this side of evil. “Promise?”


End file.
